Tim Mahon wrote:

>Now, before I beard WGMS in their den and take them to task -- is the
>piece originally by Waldteufel? And if so, why did Chabrier bother
>orchestrating it, since the piece on the radio this afternoon seemed
>to be indistinguishably orchestrated from my memory of the Chabrier!

I remember that 'Espana' was originally written for orchestra by Chabrier.
And, indeed, there's a chabrierian (if I may) style in his orchestration.
Chabrier orchestrated himself some of his piano pieces (e.g.  four of the
ten 'Picturesque pieces' for piano, which form the 'Pastoral suite' for
orchestra), but not all of them, of course, so that Ravel did it for the
'Menuet pompeux'.  Felix Mottl also orchestrated (much too heavily, IMO)
the three 'Romantic waltzes' and the 'Bourree fantasque'.

There was maybe a confusion between Chabrier's 'Espana' and Waldteufel's
'Estudiantina', because I've never heard of an 'Espana' by Waldteufel.

However, as Waldteufel has composed an enormous amount of dance music
(like the Strauss family), I cannot be sure that there isn't any 'Espana'
somewhere.

Simon Corley
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